Features

SEC's New Cyber Unit Moves to Tackle 'Scam' Coin Offering
<b><i>In the First Enforcement Action Initiated By Its New “Cyber Unit,” the SEC Announced It Has Secured a Court Order to Freeze the Assets of Individuals Behind a “Scam” Initial Coin Offering</b></i><p>In the first enforcement action initiated by its new “Cyber Unit,” the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced it has secured a court order to freeze the assets of individuals behind a “scam” initial coin offering, or ICO.
Features

DE Supreme Court Clarifies Role of Deal Price In Appraisal Fair Value Determination
Corporate practitioners have been closely following developments in Delaware's shareholder appraisal litigation. Much of the interest concerns the court's "fair value" determination and the risk that an acquiring company will have to pay appraisal petitioners more than the merger deal price. In a much-anticipated decision, the Delaware Supreme Court provides valuable guidance about the relative importance of the deal price in the court's adjudication of the "fair value" of a petitioner's shares.
Features

There May Be 'No Do-Overs,' but SEC Hack Provides Important Security Lessons
Even the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can get hacked — and the recently announced cyber attack against the SEC is providing an important wake-up call for U.S. companies regulated by the powerful agency and the attorneys they work with.
Features

Reflections on <b><I>Kokesh v. SEC</I></b>
<b><I>Potential Ramifications of SEC Disgorgement Being a Penalty</b></i><p><b><i>Part Two of a Two-Part Article</I></b><p>The <I>Kokesh</I> decision raises potential consequences that move beyond the realm of SEC enforcement. They are discussed in depth in this article.
Features

Serving Two Masters: When 'Bankruptcy-Remote' Meets Public Policy
Structured financing transactions make extensive use of entities formed for the specific purpose of reducing the likelihood that assets will be involved in a potential bankruptcy proceeding. Known as "bankruptcy-remote entities," or "BREs," these entities are subject to structures and covenants in financing documents and their own formation documents, which are designed to reduce the likelihood that the BRE will file for bankruptcy protection.
Features

Compensation Plans: Director-Specific Limits
A recent decision by the Delaware Court of Chancery serves as a reminder that boards of directors of Delaware corporations should consider amending their companies' director compensation plans to include specific limits on the amount of compensation that a director may be awarded in a given year, and obtaining stockholder approval of such compensation plans.
Features

Court of Chancery Dismisses Post-Closing Challenge to Merger Transaction
Stockholders who believe that a board breached its fiduciary duties in connection with information provided to stockholders asked to vote for a merger transaction can either seek to enjoin the transaction or seek damages post-closing. In light of the Delaware courts' jurisprudence post-<i>Corwin</i>, such claims are unlikely to succeed
Features

The Intent of Section 546(e)
<b><i>Will Reversing a Transaction 'Seriously Upset The Securities Market' Ability to Function'?</b></i><p>On Dec. 1, 2016, Bankruptcy Judge Michael J. Kaplan, held that when a private company repurchases stock from a shareholder, and the payments were made "by" the company "to" the shareholder, through a bank, those payments are not protected by Bankruptcy Code § 546(e)'s safe harbor defense because its application "cannot be permitted to turn upon the use of a bank."
Features

Insider Trading Liability for Liability Based on Tips from Family
When the Supreme Court last year agreed to hear the defendant's appeal in <i>United States v. Salman,</i> it raised expectations in some quarters that it might significantly change insider trading law by curtailing liability for trading on tips from family members. But when it issued its opinion in December, it disappointed those expectations by unanimously reaffirming liability for trading on family tips, even where the tipper receives no monetary gain.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- From the PTO to the FDA: What to Consider When Branding Clinical TrialsThe legal implications of branding generally arise initially for companies during the process of selecting a company name and any initial product or service names. For drug development companies, however, careful consideration should also be paid to the implications of branding a clinical trial.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›